PANAMA CITY, Fla. — The Panama City Planning Board voted on a package of zoning and code changes and several land-use applications Tuesday, approving most items and tabling one development for lack of applicant representation. The board also rejected a requested setback variance for a proposed single-family lot on West 19th Street.

The votes affect a mix of text amendments to the Unified Land Development Code, individual rezoning and annexation requests, and two major development approvals. Staff presented most items and remained the primary source for technical findings.

Why it matters: The board approved changes that tighten stormwater and road-acceptance standards, streamline subdivision plat review to an administrative technical-review process (consistent with state changes to section 177.071 of the Florida Statutes), and modestly raise density limits in the MU-2 zoning district from 10 to 12 units per acre. Those code changes alter how developers design stormwater ponds and demonstrate road construction to the city before the city will accept roads into its maintenance system. They also change which applications must appear before the appointed board and which can be handled administratively.

Votes at a glance

- Case 1190 (variance, 4403 W. 19th St.): Motion to approve variance failed; tally recorded as yes 3 / no 2 / motion failed (applicant requested a 3-foot setback variance; staff recommended denial). The board heard testimony from Simon Joguera, who said he needed an additional three feet so “the truck is 19 foot…so I was asking respectfully for another 3 feet.” The motion to approve failed on roll call.

- Case 1030 (major development, 122 Center Ave., CW Roberts Contracting Inc.): Tabled to November because the applicant was not present; staff had recommended approval with conditions and a development order.

- Case 1192 (major development, 1427 W. 30th St., VCP Creekside LLC): Motion to approve passed 5–0. Applicant Matthew Chapman of Panhandle Engineering spoke; the board approved a four-story apartment complex major-development application.

- Case 1118 (small-scale land-use amendment and rezoning, 1817 Beck Ave., Marco and Katrina Armenti): Motion to approve transmitted to city commission; passed 5–0. Staff noted underground utilities comments received after agenda publication that can be resolved during development-order review.

- Case 1130 (annexation and rezoning, 3719 Shoreview Circle, Richard and Bridal Keppel): Motion to approve passed 5–0; staff again flagged utility coordination (force main/sewer access) to be addressed during development-order review.

- Text amendments (ULDC chapters; stormwater, road acceptance, geotech testing—presented by Stacy Rausch, city engineer): Motion to approve passed 5–0. Changes include a 6-inch freeboard requirement for stormwater ponds, mandatory 100-year storm modeling for pond designs, geotechnical testing and reporting for new roads, and procedures requiring commission approval where pavement-section deviations are proposed due to seasonal high-water-table conditions.

- ULDC text amendment updating plat/lot-split procedures to reflect changes to Florida Statutes section 177.071 (staff/Juwan Haley): Motion to approve passed 5–0; the change codifies subdivision-plat and lot-split streamlining, moving review to the technical review committee as administrative review rather than a planning-board requirement.

- ULDC text amendment to appointment process for planning-board members (allowing each commissioner and the mayor to appoint one member, running concurrent with the appointing commissioner’s term): Motion passed 3–2 (Carroll and Barker voted no; Stamps, Rich and Chairman Neubauer voted yes). The change also provides a 120-day window for reappointment or replacement after adoption.

- MU-2 density change (from 10 to 12 dwelling units per acre): Motion to approve passed 5–0. Staff said the modest increase responds to a rezoning request and could allow duplexes in MU-2 without requiring rezoning to MU-3.

- Community Redevelopment Agency comprehensive-plan amendments (CRA/Michelle Zirkle): Motion to approve consistency transmittal passed 5–0. Staff requested that any editorial or legal comments be returned to counsel within 60 days.

Discussion highlights and staff concerns

- Setback variance (case 1190): Staff recommended denial, saying the applicant’s asserted hardship appeared to stem from the submitted design and could likely be resolved by reconfiguring the building footprint. Applicant Simon Joguera described on-site measurements and the truck clearance that motivated his request.

- Utility coordination: For multiple small-scale rezoning and annexation items staff read into the record comments from underground utilities (submitted after agenda publication). Staff said water and sewer access or force-main requirements could be resolved at the development-order stage and did not recommend denial based solely on those outstanding utility comments.

- Road acceptance and stormwater: City engineer Stacy Rausch said the proposed text changes align Panama City with Panama City Beach and Bay County practice and would require engineers to model 100-year storms, provide a 6-inch freeboard for ponds (25-year design inundation), and supply post-construction geotechnical reports showing constructed conditions meet design assumptions; the city will not accept roads that fail required certification.

What’s next

Approved text amendments will move forward for the ordinance process where required and for final adoption by the city commission. Projects approved by the board will proceed to any remaining development-order reviews and permitting steps. The warehouse project at 122 Center Ave. was tabled and will return in November with applicant representation.

Sources: Panama City Planning Board meeting transcript, Oct. 13, 2025; staff reports and on-record comments read at the meeting.